Virginia inside linebacker Micah Kiser has been named to the preseason Butkus Award Watch List, an annual award given to the nation’s best linebacker. Kiser was a semifinalist for the award in 2016.
Kiser have previously been named this summer to the 2017 Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy and Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch Lists. This is the second year in a row Kiser has been on the Butkus Award Watch List.
Kiser (Baltimore, Md.) was a Football Writers Association of America second-team All-American in 2016 after finishing No. 1 in the ACC and No. 4 in the nation with 11.2 tackles per game. The two-time first-team All-ACC honoree has led the league in tackles each of the past two seasons.
Mirroring the legendary “51” pro jersey of the award’s namesake Dick Butkus, whom NFL Films considers the best defensive player in football history, each watch list features 51 players who will be reviewed by a 51-person selection panel of deeply experienced coaches, talent evaluators and journalists who vote by private ballot. Appearance on the watch list is not required to become a semifinalist.
Semifinalists will be named October 30, finalists November 20, and the winner will be notified on or beforeDecember 5. The Butkus Award is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Its 23 awards have honored more than 800 people since 1935. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.
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Chris Graham
